Labour Research Department

OUT NOW Why you need this guide: to understand AI at work, protect members’ rights, and negotiate fair outcomes. A single copy £15.85 Substantial discounts are available for bulk orders — making it more affordable to provide extra copies for reps, branch activists, or training courses. LRD affiliates receive a further discount on bulk copies purchased. This latest LRD guide explains how AI systems work and the human and environmental costs behind them.

We have made this article free to read from FACT Service. Subscribe for more information like this. LRD's extensive collection of online content is available to affiliates by subscribing to Publications Online. The establishment of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA) on 7 April, the day after provisions in the Employment Rights Act on sick pay and parental leave took effect, is a milestone — but it will need more enforcement powers, the Resolution Foundation has stated.

Inflation was steady in the 12 months to February, remaining unchanged at 3% while the RPI rate slowed to 3.6%, down from 3.8%in January, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, the effect of what the TUC is calling “Trumpflation” caused by the USA and Israel’s war on Iran has yet to show in the data, prompting widespread warnings that a prices crisis is on its way.

The Labour Research Department is on the move! We're moving from 78 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HF to our new offices at: 3 St George's Mews 43 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7JB The move will be completed by 7 April. All other contact details (phone numbers and emails) will remain the same.

The Labour Research Department has moved offices and has a new address. We've moved from 78 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HF to our new offices at: 3 St George's Mews 43 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7JB The move will be completed by 7 April. All other contact details (phone numbers and emails) will remain the same.

We have made this article free to read from Labour Research. Subscribe for more information like this. LRD's extensive collection of online content is available to affiliates by subscribing to Publications Online. The Employment Rights Act 2025 became law on 18 December 2025. It is being implemented gradually. Labour Research looks at the parts of the Act that are already in force. For decades, employment rights in the UK have lagged behind other European countries.

AI at work New LRD union guide to shape its future Labour Research Department has published its first guide to help trade union reps understand artificial intelligence (AI) and how they can deal with its rollout in the workplace. Surveys have shown that workers are concerned about the impact of AI on their jobs and that employers are pushing hard for workers to use AI. Analysis also shows that UK Government is actively deploying AI across public services.

The Unite general union, one of Labour’s biggest union backers, has announced that it is cutting its affiliation to Labour by an “unprecedented” 40% – £580,000 – and will consult with members on whether to remain affiliated to the party.

UK workers put in £28.5 billion in unpaid overtime in 2025, the TUC has said in a new analysis, describing this as “a modest improvement” from 2024 when the figure was closer to £31 billion. Workers who do unpaid overtime miss out on 6.8 hours of their own time a week for the benefit of their employer, the TUC stated, calculating that in the course of a year, this amounts to a loss of £8,100 for the average person doing unpaid overtime work.

We have made this article free to read from Labour Research. Subscribe for more information like this. LRD's extensive collection of online content is available to affiliates by subscribing to Publications Online. There have been more women than men in unions for more than 20 years, but it’s taken a long time for this to be reflected in union leaderships. It is now more than 20 years since men ceased to be in a majority among trade union members.